The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-12-02

\ NJ. U w. Giuor0- . gentleman well
known % the business men % Nash
vile and Tcnnessce. was prceont II
4 The reunion a ex-Conlsderates Il
Macon. Ga. which President Davis q
tended. and stood within : lew leet Of
him during ~ scenes of the review
q which the Northern Republican
press have had % much 20 say Mr..
Clifford = = pronounced Republican
and A ex-Union soldier. = . member
q George II Thomas Post. No. !. @.
- + j a interview be said: II
feel Il my duty = An American citizen.
20 protest against the wrong which 4
being done the people Of the South
and more particularly q Georgia in
the publications which arc being made
BY leading journals Of my party in 70
gard 10 the conduct u ex-C onfcderates
q the Macon reunion and the conduct
Of Mr.. Davis Il II true that the al
legged incidents which are made the
basis Of this assault BY the Northern
and Eastern press occurred in Georgia.
but the assault has widencd until il il
sought to re fiect upon the loyalty Of
the South There were = few Con-
federate flags huttcring but these
were principally in front Of sa-
looms and underneath them were
placards stating the saloon was
ex-Confederate headquarters. tho de-
vice evidently being . sharp dodge BY
the saloon-keeper 70 attract custom.
Twas standing within ten feet Of
Mr.. Davis on the porch Of Colonel
Johnson's residence where the meet
ing between him and the Confederate
veterans about which so much misrep-
resentation hiss been made occurred.
] saw the chair brought out and the
old man take his seat in il When the
nag Was pushed forward to the railing.
Mrs Davis leaned forward and pluck
ing shred from its torn and tattcred
folds. fell back in her chair and put
ting her hands to her face began to
weep. The scene was such that no
man could have resisted its pathos.
Not an eye in that vast assemblagc
was dry. Men wept. yes but their
tears were not disloyal:y to the Union.
but were forced from them BY the sad
ness Of the scene. Union soldiers who
were there wcpt and are not ashamed Of
their emotion TWAS in this excitement
the dag was pushed forward to Mr.
Davis. Rising with an effort. he con-
vulsively snatched its folds and pressed
them to his lips. then fell back in his
chair exhausted Then arose cries for
Governor Gordon He stepped to the
front and delivered a speech which
was a loyal to the Union IS any John
Sherman ever made
When he referred to the perfect
union Of the sections to-day under one
dag. the cheering was louder and more
BY far even than which |
greeted the incident Of the dag. No
man could have looked upon that as
and heard their shouts and |
entertain the faintest idea
that these people are disioyal to the |
Union The dag was not torn 70 |
pieces BY men eager TO preserve relics |
Of the emblem which jefferson Davis |
had kissed, - the Republican press
charge 1t was quietly borne away.
and not . shred was taken from it ex-
sept that BY Mrs. Davis ! walked
among the thousands Of ex-Confeder-
lfes At Macon. and talked with hun
ireds. and / declare, with all sincerity
and truthfulness, that / did not see or
hear . single thing which indicated
my antagonism to the Union / re-
that, after il was all over. l |
vas talking with party Of men who
lad fought for the Union. and hap
pened like me to be in Macon on busi-
ness. and some one remarked that he
wondered Il any attempt would be
made by the Republican press TO
the occasion. and
We agreed that those who
EEK to make the people Of other
sections believe that those ex-Confe<l-
crates had acted as enemies to the Un-
ION. and given vent to disloyal senti-
nents, would Be nothing short Of gross
Injustice. and no man would have the /
depraved imagination to attempt to do
% unless he were sensational news
paper correspondent As men we felt |
hat we would be recrcant to our sense
md consciences il we failed TO rccog-
nize the loyalty among these old vet
Grams. now our peaceful fellow-cifizens.
Now l see that the press Of the North
has done great wrong. know the
injustice Of the charges, and I feel II |
my duty to say what know. It would |
Be base ingratitude to the people |
among whom live IL did not raise |
my voice to protest against this misrep-
One little circumstance
illustrates the temper Of the people.
had occasion to spend good deal Of |
time at the depot looking after freight.
and frequently stopped to look It the |
gaily decorated cars which had brought
Mr. Davis from Mississippi. There
were many flags upon il, but every one
was the flag Of our Nation -- Nashville
Letter ~ Minneapolis Tribune (Rep.)
x
NATIONAL UNITY